Ottawa river through a fence, February 2020, canon, Sylvie GE
Welll, I need hand sanitiser. I already have soap, but what should I do when I must disinfect door handles, or wash my hands on the go? So I have to find disinfectant, two days before the lock down, without access to online or not stores in Nelson. I’ve already learned how to make my own with rubbing alcohol and aloe vera, but all pharmacies in Nelson have already been depleted of their stock. Never mind, I only need to buy vodka containing 70% alcohol or more, but the liquor stores do not keep it. The two places I know have 60% absinthe, which is not strong enough. The second merchant has ordered some more but does not know when he will receive it. He informs me there is a third merchant, whose existence I did not know, in a part of the city frequented by another type of clientele. When I get there and loudly announce that I am looking for the strongest possible alcohol in there, the salesperson behind the counter is a little surprised. He has 74% and 89% absinthe, behind the counter: "89% is even better" and I buy it without flinching. Then, his eyes light up: "It's for the disinfectant, right?" ! " Yes of course "! Without a doubt, the most expensive disinfectant I have ever had. I have not dared to open the bottle, I’m having a hard time reconcile with spending that much money to sanitize doorknobs. I ended up finding some hand sanitiser at the pharmacy, also at a high price, obviously, somebody is taking advantage of the situation. There's always a Rhett Buttler (well-known character from Gone with the Wind, who took advantage of the Civil War in the United States to get rich) somewhere. Not totally bad, but not totally good either.
Oh, goodness. I bought a large bottle of alcohol (just a premonition) before this started and I am so grateful. It never occurred to me that I could use that vodka I was turning into vanilla extract as a sanitizer, but think of the lovely scent! I always wondered what made absinthe so poisonous–is it the high volume of alcohol?
Take care of the large bottle of alcohol, it is like gold! I would not dream of drinking absinthe: 89% of alcohol or so, I would just drop dead (but a lovely scent, or so I am told).
It was blamed to one chemical substance of the wormwood extract (thujone which is indeed toxic but the concentration was not high enough to be that toxic) : we know now that is was mainly because the alcohol they used was not pure and maybe even mixed on purpose with methanol (to cut the cost and make more money) which is not suitable for consumption… and some other adulterants / impurities (also to cut the costs) or sometimes they even used poisonous coloring products. Also if some people drank too much of this high alcohol content beverage (even non adulterated) ethyl alcohol in big quantities is a poison in itself. But mainly it was the adulteration of the product.
Thank you for this very informative response that I was not aware of, but I know that for me the 89% of alcohol would definitely kill me. I hope nonetheless that the bottle I bought does not contain poisonous additives.
chargement…
That is interesting information. Goodness. There’s a reason for food regulations, not that this is food, but such a lot of poisonous stuff in one drink, though I assume not all at the same time as different makers would make different substitutes. Thanks!
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Hope you don’t end up having to lick the door handles to have a drink!
Who knows?
Oh, goodness. I bought a large bottle of alcohol (just a premonition) before this started and I am so grateful. It never occurred to me that I could use that vodka I was turning into vanilla extract as a sanitizer, but think of the lovely scent! I always wondered what made absinthe so poisonous–is it the high volume of alcohol?
Take care of the large bottle of alcohol, it is like gold! I would not dream of drinking absinthe: 89% of alcohol or so, I would just drop dead (but a lovely scent, or so I am told).
It was blamed to one chemical substance of the wormwood extract (thujone which is indeed toxic but the concentration was not high enough to be that toxic) : we know now that is was mainly because the alcohol they used was not pure and maybe even mixed on purpose with methanol (to cut the cost and make more money) which is not suitable for consumption… and some other adulterants / impurities (also to cut the costs) or sometimes they even used poisonous coloring products. Also if some people drank too much of this high alcohol content beverage (even non adulterated) ethyl alcohol in big quantities is a poison in itself. But mainly it was the adulteration of the product.
Thank you for this very informative response that I was not aware of, but I know that for me the 89% of alcohol would definitely kill me. I hope nonetheless that the bottle I bought does not contain poisonous additives.
That is interesting information. Goodness. There’s a reason for food regulations, not that this is food, but such a lot of poisonous stuff in one drink, though I assume not all at the same time as different makers would make different substitutes. Thanks!